Riding a motorcycle in the dark during standard time: how to see better and be seen

From October 25, sunset comes before 17:30

The time change moves the clocks back sixty minutes, but the effect on your day is more brutal: the journey home from work, which until Saturday took place in daylight, becomes an evening commute.

On the night between Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 3:00 the clocks go back to 2:00. The European Union has been discussing abolishing the seasonal time change for years, but for now there is no definitive rule and the change remains in force. The table below shows times calculated with a standard astronomical algorithm for three cities; the difference is a couple of minutes, so for your municipality, rely on data from a local weather service.

Times in standard time (CET), calculated by Endurrad: estimated, unofficial data. The day before the change, October 24, sunset in Milan is at 18:22 daylight saving time.

The 2025 ISTAT figures show where people die, not when

The ISTAT report on road accidents in 2025, published on July 24, 2026, is the most robust source we have. It should be read for what it contains, and also for what it leaves out.

The table breaks down motorcyclist deaths by type of collision. Nearly half of the deaths occur in collisions with a car, and nearly one-third without involving other vehicles.

Source: ISTAT, Road Accidents Report 2025 (July 24, 2026), pp. 8 and 12. The rows do not add up to 802 because the report includes other categories.

The problem is being seen: what MAIDS and the BMJ study say

Two studies, one European and one from New Zealand, explain why visibility matters more than the power of the headlights you use to see.

MAIDS: the other driver's perception error

The MAIDS (Motorcycle Accident In-Depth Study), coordinated by the European motorcycle manufacturers' association ACEM and published in 2009, analyzed 921 crashes involving mopeds and motorcycles, 100 of them fatal. The other driver's perception or vision error was the most frequent primary factor: 37% of cases, accounting for 72% of the errors made by drivers of other vehicles. For fairness, the same study attributes a primary error to the motorcyclist in 37% of crashes: visibility matters, and the caution of the person riding the motorcycle matters just as much.

BMJ 2004: reflective clothing, light-colored helmet, headlight on

The case-control study by Wells and colleagues (BMJ 2004) compared 463 crash-involved motorcyclists with 1,233 controls in Auckland.

Lights: what Article 152 requires and what auxiliary lights add

A motorcycle's lights have two different purposes: helping you see and helping others see you. The legal requirement concerns the first.

Article 152 of the Highway Code requires motorcycles and mopeds to use position lights and low-beam headlights while riding in built-up areas as well. Instead of low beam, daytime running lights may be used if the vehicle is equipped with them and in the cases indicated by Article 153, paragraph 1. The violation is punishable by an administrative fine; for the updated amount and any recent changes, the current text is available at normattiva.it. If you want an overview of the changes to the Highway Code, see the article on the new Highway Code and motorcycles.

Supplementary lights are not mandatory, and neither of the two studies cited demonstrates that they reduce accidents. They make sense for two practical reasons: they widen the beam on the road ahead, and give the motorcycle a three-point light signature that a driver recognizes more easily than a single headlight. The latter is an editorial opinion, not research data.

LOBOO L11, approved auxiliary lightsSKU L11

Homologation

ECE R149.00, E57*149R00/06*1186

Maximum output

15,000 lumens per pair

Adjustment

8 brightness levels

Sealing

IP68, CNC aluminum housing

List price

455 €

Available LOBOO declared specificationView details

As of October 14, 2026, the product page shows only one piece in stock. If it is sold out, you can find alternatives in the LOBOO lighting collection and in motorcycle lighting and electrical. Homologation and light output are figures declared by the manufacturer: to read an ECE certificate and understand what is actually compliant, see the guide to approved auxiliary lights; for a comparison of models, see the best motorcycle auxiliary lights of 2026. Before adding loads to the electrical system, also read how a motorcycle power distribution unit works.

Visor, cold, and clothing: the details that matter at 5:30 p.m.

At night, the visor matters as much as the headlights, and a cold body matters more than people admit.

The visor: clean, clear, and scratch-free

A scratch that goes unnoticed during the day scatters the light from oncoming headlights at night, leaving you with a halo in front of your eyes. It’s a practical rule, not a study: if the visor is visibly scratched, replacing it costs less than an accident. At night, use a clear visor or a clear internal lens system, not a tinted one. Autumn humidity causes fogging easily: an anti-fog treatment or a dedicated insert, checked before setting off, prevents the worst moment.

The body: cold and concentration

Cold hands and chest make you tired and distracted, especially at the end of the day. That’s why dressing in layers and protecting your hands isn’t a traveler’s affectation: it’s a matter of attentiveness. If you return every evening when temperatures are below ten degrees, heated motorcycle clothing: where to start explains what to warm first, while the heated motorcycle clothing collection gathers what’s in the catalog.

The contrast: reflective inserts

Based on the BMJ study, a jacket or vest with large reflective or fluorescent areas is the visibility investment with the best ratio of cost to available evidence. Look at the panels on the back and sleeves: these are the surfaces the car behind you sees first.

Cold tires, wet leaves: checks before setting off

In cold weather, the air in the tires contracts, pressure drops, and grip decreases just when the asphalt is wet and covered with leaves.

A common rule of thumb is about 1 psi per 10 degrees Fahrenheit, that is, roughly one-tenth of a bar per 10 degrees Celsius. This is an estimate, not a manufacturer's specification: what matters is measuring with the tire cold, after the motorcycle has been stationary for at least a couple of hours. Insella recommends checking at least twice a month, preferably every week; with the motorcycle fully loaded, with luggage and a passenger, the usual recommendation is to increase pressure by 0.2-0.3 bar, but the correct values are in your motorcycle's manual.

Valves with Chigee pressure sensorsSKU MFP0018

Range

0-8 bar

Stated accuracy

0.01 bar

Battery

2-3 years, non-replaceable

Dimensions

25 x 25 x 49,5 mm

Compatible with

Chigee AIO-5 Lite, AIO-5 Play, AIO-5 Play BMW Edition, XR-2

List price

60 €

Available Chigee stated dataView details

Five checks before going out in the evening

1. Cold-tire pressure. Use a pressure gauge, follow the manual's values, and adjust them if you are carrying a load.
2. Lights. Low beam, brake light, turn signals and, if you have them, auxiliary lights: also check the beam height, which must not reach the eyes of oncoming road users.
3. Visor. Clean inside and out, scratch-free, with active anti-fog treatment.
4. Battery and electrical system. Cold weather strains weak batteries, and loads left on for hours of darkness put them under stress: see how to maintain your battery in winter.
5. Route. Choose well-lit roads where possible and allow more time: evening hurry is the worst adviser.

Five habits that change evening riding

These are common-sense and driving-school guidelines, not the findings of a single study: we present them as an editorial opinion.

1. Reduce your speed compared with daytime. In low light, you see obstacles later: auxiliary lights do not change the physics of stopping distance.
2. Increase your following distance. In the dark, visual references are lost and the car ahead's brake lights are harder to read.
3. Position yourself where you can be seen. Avoid staying in the blind spot or hiding behind a car that is about to turn: at an intersection, the risk is a car cutting you off.
4. Look toward the edge, not at the headlights. If an approaching car dazzles you, shift your gaze toward the right edge of your lane.
5. Take a break if you are tired. Cold and darkness reduce your stamina: ten minutes in a café cost less than one moment of distraction.

Wet leaves and a damp road surface are a constant companion this season: grip decreases, and braking must be applied more progressively. There is no data that allows us to give a precise measure, so the rule is simple: if the asphalt is shining, slow down.

Read next